good kid. he was just breaking into the expert ranks when he began college at UCONN so we only see him now at the occasional open practice. still rides well and we bagged him pretty good yesterday with my slow shutter panning practice paying off in a positive presentation of perfect poise and posture.

so I run down the street to mcdonalds just now for coffee. I went to bed last night convinced I was going to Raceway Park in Englishtown NJ for Kawasaki Race of Champions but the reality of mid 50's and steady rain sank in and I...shut the alarm off and conceded the new Fox rain parka and umbrella I bought yesterday at Moroneys would remain new and in my trunk...

so anyway I'm at window 1 paying for the coffee and the kid is looking in my car and at me while he's making change and after he gives me the change he says.."do you take pictures at Walden".. matter of fact I do.

young kid. working at mcdonalds drive through window on a sunday. I asked him his #, and told him I had some of him from last Saturday.

not exactly the fastest kid around but maybe someday my panning practice will have a very big meaning when someone is looking at this picture from last saturday's open practice.

and yes I'm a wus and wussed out on Etown. the only damn clouds over the entire goddam country are over NJ/PA/NY/CT.

I can deal with rain. I can deal with cool temps. I'm not dealing with both of them and a 4 hour round trip drive. what time are the Giants on?

849 Chris Bittles when he isn't working at McDonalds. just a kid on a RM doing more than Charles Barkley ever did in his entire so called life.

ain't it cool? you just never know what you might come up with until you point and shoot. I'm so glad I started panning slow shutter because that picture is 10 times better with the wheel/backround blur. and that is SLOW shutter. 1/50

that is really slow but the possibilities are endless. an otherwise nothing shot becomes worth looking at.

All are not stars... but everyone deserves their chance to shine... at some time...

^^^ Flug... the "#849 Chris Bittles" backgound story at McD's...

That, along with some of the other behind the scene/real life stories... ie: the little girl at practice day; whose fiddy wouldn't run/start, or the young local hotshot looking to garner himself a pro# with hard work, dedication, good moral ethic and no silver spoon in the mouth...

All of these stories (and your great photo's) etc., told in your own inimitable fashion, are what make this thread rock... In my very own humble opinion.

That, along with some of the other behind the scene/real life stories... ie: the little girl at practice day; whose fiddy wouldn't run/start, or the young local hotshot looking to garner himself a pro# with hard work, dedication, good moral ethic and no silver spoon in the mouth...

All of these stories (and your great photo's) etc., told in your own inimitable fashion, are what make this thread rock... In my very own humble opinion.

That, along with some of the other behind the scene/real life stories... ie: the little girl at practice day; whose fiddy wouldn't run/start, or the young local hotshot looking to garner himself a pro# with hard work, dedication, good moral ethic and no silver spoon in the mouth...

All of these stories (and your great photo's) etc., told in your own inimitable fashion, are what make this thread rock... In my very own humble opinion.

Thanks...

thanks a lot I really appreciate this. I could go on for hours about how much what I'm doing with my photography means (to me), but I'm not even sure I know myself, but I do know that for whatever the reason, it seems like a very important thing to do at this point in my life. since I started going to the tracks in 2008 and quickly realizing that forget the kids on the 80's, there were (and are) kids on 65cc's doing some very serious riding at some very respectable speeds which would leave most people eating an awful lot of dust should they attempt to keep up, and I quickly realized...why bother?

not that there is anything wrong with eating dust the more I watch the more I find myself drawn to those that aren't going 1-1 for first overall. it's complicated. you've summed it up perfectly

All are not stars... but everyone deserves their chance to shine... at some time...